Internal Developments:

Basil Rajapaksa Granted Bail

1. Former Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa and three others were on June 15 granted bail against cash security by the Colombo High Court in a case in which the four were charged of misusing Divineguma Public Fund.

Gagan Bulathsinghala new SLAF Commander

2. Air Vice Marshal Gagan Pulasthi Bulathsinghala was appointed as the Commander of the Sri Lankan Air Force by President Maithripala Sirisena. He replaces Former Air Force Commander Air Marshal Kolitha Gunathilake who will take over as the new Chief of Defence Staff. These changes would come into effect on June 15, 2015

Land Released to Owners

3. In a move by the Sirisena government in the direction of reconciliation and rehabilitation of Sri Lankan Tamils, the Jaffna Security Forces Headquarters announced (11.06.2015) release of 19,159.38 acres of land in the North to the original owners. The land was used by the security forces during the war.

Cabinet Agrees on Constitutional Amendment

4. The Sri Lankan Cabinet, at a special session on June 8, approved a compromise legislation worked out by the main political parties to implement electoral reforms. This clears the way for the passage of the 20th Amendment to the Constitution that should enable the government to call for early elections to the parliament. Though it had been proposed to increase the number of MPs to 255, Cabinet finally decided to maintain the number at 225 as at present, as insisted upon by the United National Party (UNP).

However, in a significant change, it is now proposed that 125 MPs would be elected from the electoral constituencies under First-Past-the Post system, 75 seats will be filled through Proportional Representation System by districts, and the remaining 25 from the National List.

Opposition Hands Over ‘No-Confidence Motion’

5. The UFPA handed over (05.06.2015) to Secretary General of Parliament Dammika Dasanayake, a no confidence motion against the Prime Minister. The ‘motion’ carries signatures of 112 MPs. If the motion is adopted, the Council of Ministers would stand dissolved and the President would be required to appoint a new Prime Minister commanding majority support in the Parliament. According to media reports, President Sirisena is not in favour of entertaining the no confidence motion against PM Ranil Wickremesinghe and would prefer enactment of the 20th Amendment to the Constitution taking precedence.

External Relations:

India: Sri Lanka Recalls High Commissioner

6. Sri Lankan Foreign Affairs Ministry has recalled 50 diplomats appointed by previous government as Ambassadors and High Commissioners to different countries. The list includes Sri Lankan High Commissioner to India, Sudarshan Seneviratna. His successor would be named only after exchange of ‘agreema’.

Dr. Kalam to visit Lanka:

7. Former Indian President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam will be the Chief Guest at a Sri Lankan government - organized conference on issues relating to power and energy to be held in Colombo on June 26 and 27.

Pakistan: Raheel Sharif Visits Sri Lanka

8. Pakistani Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Raheel Sharif paid a 4 day (June 5-8) official visit to Sri Lanka. During the talks he highlighted defense and security cooperation as central to the special relationship between Sri Lanka and Pakistan. He paid rich tribute to Sri Lankan armed forces for their resilience and professionalism in the war against terrorism and claimed that Pakistan army’s on going operation ‘Zarb-e-Azb’ exhibited Pakistan’s commitment to peace and stability in the region.

Foreign Minister Meets Leaders of Global Tamil Forum

9. Foreign Affairs Minister Mangala Samaraweera told the Parliament on June 12 that together with Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP M.A. Sumanthiran, he met Global Tamil Forum representatives in London and discussed the reviewing of the list of organizations and individuals proscribed in a gazette notification. He said the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) had recommended constructive engagement with the Sri Lanka Diaspora with to facilitate reconciliation among the communities. He also emphasized that the Sri Lankan diaspora consisting of some 1.5 millions people included all the main communities and as such it was wrong for anyone to identify it with a single ethnic group.

10. The former Norwegian Minister Eric Solheim, who had acted as the peace facilitator between the government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE during the 2002 – 2004 and was a witness to the several rounds of peace negotiations between the two sides, shared his experience in engaging the Diaspora at the meeting.

China wants 'stable' military ties with SL

11. China's Defence Minister told (June 9) the head of the visiting Sri Lankan naval delegation that China wanted to ensure a "continuous and stable" development of military ties between the two countries. This came after Sri Lanka had ruled out future Chinese submarine visits to the country’s naval ports. He further added that China was willing to continue and deepen cooperation with Sri Lanka, including efforts to train personnel.